Author: NBTC

Real-world asset tokenization has quietly become one of crypto’s most consequential growth stories in 2026, even as Bitcoin and most other digital assets have traded well below their late-2025 highs. The value of tokenized RWAs that can actually be traded on-chain has roughly tripled over the past year, institutional heavyweights from BlackRock to JPMorgan have moved from pilot programs to production, and a major clearing infrastructure pilot could reshape how traditional securities settle. Here’s where the market actually stands, and why the headline numbers you’ll see cited vary so widely. Key Takeaways On-chain, freely tradable RWA value (excluding stablecoins) reached…

Aptos is processing transactions at a pace that few blockchains have matched, and its latest numbers make that case plainly. The network recorded 13.2 million transactions in a single 24-hour window, its highest daily activity level in the past week, according to data from Chainspect. To put that figure in context, Aptos has now processed more than 4.51 billion transactions since launching in October 2022, roughly one transaction for nearly every other person on Earth, as Chainspect noted on X. Aptos is a layer-1 blockchain built for high transaction throughput and low fees, designed to support everything from DeFi and…

It’s highly unusual for the largest derivatives exchange operator in the U.S., the CME Group, to be at war with its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) — but that’s now happening in a situation brought about by the agency’s decision to allow blockchain-based perpetual future products. Last month, the CME sued the ​CFTC and its chairman, Mike Selig, challenging his decision to let ‌the prediction markets platform Kalshi and cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (COIN) list crypto perps, decentralized derivative contracts that allow users to speculate on the price of an asset with leverage and no expiration date. Now, both…

Coupang, the South Korean e-commerce giant, and Woori Bank have completed a technical verification test using a won-denominated stablecoin to settle Coupang Eats payment proceeds with merchants in real time. The test lays the groundwork for commercial deployment once relevant legislation is enacted, according to a report by CoinReaders. How the Stablecoin Settlement Test Worked The test implemented a process in which, after a Coupang Eats order payment was completed, the funds were transferred and settled to a merchant’s electronic wallet through stablecoins. Woori Bank handled the on- and off-ramp system linking electronic wallets and bank accounts, enabling seamless conversions…

The crypto company said on Tuesday all future Bitgo-issued digital assets will also use Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, or CCIP, by default. The decision creates a single framework for transferring assets between blockchains while applying the same security controls and operating standards across supported networks. Build a Unified Cross-Chain Framework Wrapped bitcoin, ticker WBTC, is a token that represents bitcoin 1:1 on blockchains other than the Bitcoin network. It allows BTC holders to use their assets in decentralized finance (DeFi), where they can trade, lend or provide liquidity on applications built on networks such as Ethereum. Moving assets between blockchains…

The Federal Reserve will announce its first interest rate decision under new Chairman Kevin Warsh tomorrow. The biggest question mark for Warsh, nominated by President Donald Trump at the end of January to head the Fed, is whether he will pursue interest rate hikes to control inflation or whether he will open the door to rate cuts, as Trump has long demanded. Warsh will chair his first Federal Open Market Committee meeting as chairman on Wednesday and will hold a press conference after the decision. Bond markets, in particular, are expected to react sensitively to the messages Warsh delivers. UBS…

Higher rates hurt bitcoin and risk assets as when the Fed raises rates, cash and Treasury bonds start paying a decent, guaranteed return, so investors have less reason to hold something that pays no yield and swings 5% in a session. On the other hand, cooler inflation means the Fed has less reason to raise, so that pull weakens and money flows back the other way. Elsewhere, brent crude advanced 1% to above $85 a barrel, a third consecutive day of gains, after President Trump threatened further strikes on Iran and the U.S. resumed its blockade of Iranian shipping through…

Cardano ($ADA) founder Charles Hoskinson stated that the $ADA ecosystem needs to regain its strength by highlighting the network’s decentralized governance structure and the upcoming Leios update. Hoskinson stated that the Cardano community can determine the future of the network without needing any central authority. He explained that the community can come together to create a roadmap, allocate resources for this plan, vote, and implement the accepted changes, arguing that Cardano is a truly decentralized ecosystem that is constantly evolving itself. Hoskinson announced that Leios will be Cardano’s next major technical update, claiming that this upgrade will increase the network’s…

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) called for the creation of a common regulatory framework to support the cryptocurrency sector among Southeast Asian countries. Speaking at the 2026 ASEAN Tech Summit in Manila, Philippines, Zhao stated his support for a common “crypto regulatory passport” system applicable to ASEAN countries. According to CZ, if such a system is implemented, a cryptocurrency license obtained in any ASEAN member country could be recognized by other member countries. This would allow cryptocurrency companies to operate more easily across the region with a single license, instead of applying for licenses separately in each country. Zhao stated…

Four of the largest banks in the United States are building a shared network that will let corporate clients move tokenized deposits around the clock, seven days a week. The project, coordinated through The Clearing House, is targeting a first half 2027 launch. It is the clearest sign yet that Wall Street is no longer experimenting with blockchain. It is rebuilding the plumbing. The phrase “tokenize everything” has been a crypto industry talking point since at least 2018. For most of that time, the institutions that actually control global financial infrastructure treated it as a science project. Pilots were announced,…